Sander block



Nov. 28, 1950 o. sTUcKER 2,531,588

' SANDER BLOCK Filed May 17, 1949 INVENTOR. @SCA :2. S1-uc Kar;

WZO/ZM/mm M/lm Patented Nov. 28,2195() .N

UNITED vSTATES PATENT FFICE SANDER BLOCK Oscar Stucker, Morocco, Ind.

Application May 17, 1949, Serial No. 93,785

4 Claims.

tightly stretching a band of abrasive material inI such a manner that the entire surface of the abrasive band may be used before the strip is discarded.

Another object of this invention is to provide an expansible sander block of this kind having wedge members insertable between the pair of block sections for pressing the block sections outwardly into contact with the inner surface of the loop of abrasive material engaged thereabout, the stretched loop and the block sections providing a rigid block for use in sanding, polishing or the like.

provide a sander block of this kind having Wedge elements for pressing apart the block sections, the block sections being formed for receiving the wedges within the outside limits thereof, so that the wedges do not extend outwardly beyond the sides of the block and the block sections and wedges being formed for readily extracting the wedges to provide for the changing of the sandpaper looped about the block.

with the above and other objects in View, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective View of a sander block. constructed according to an embodiment of this invention;

Aigure 2 is a horizontal transverse section taken on the line 2*-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3 3 of Figure l;

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken on the line li--ll of Figure l;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the wedge blocks removed from the sander block assembly.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral It) designates generally aV sanderY block constructed ac cording to an embodiment of this invention for supporting a continuous strip or loop of flexible material, as sandpaper,` polishing cloth or the like. The sander block IB is expansible for engaging the flexible member Within the loop for 20 Still another object of this invention is to -2 stretching the iiexible member to a taut condition when it is to be used for sanding, polishing, or light work.

The sander block It is formed of a pair of sander block sections II and i2 which are preferably made of wood or other suitable light and hard material. The sander block sections IIV and I2 are substantially rectangular in configuration, though one of the block sections may be formed with a substantially pointed tip, as the pointed tip IG. of the sander block I'I, as clearly shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. In any event, the outermost corners or edges of the block sections II and l2 will be rounded to provide for the smooth engagement of the flexible member I5 about the corners of the block when the flexible member is stretched over the outer surface of the block sections II and I2.

The flexible member l5 shown in the drawings is a loop of sandpaper or emery cloth having a flexible base or strip I5 on which a coating of sand, emery or other suitable abrasive or polishing material I'I is suitably fixed, as by glue.

One of the sander block sections, as the sander block section I2, is formed with a pair of inwardly-opening, longitudinally-extending bores or recesses I8 and Iii opening through the face of the block which is to be positioned in confronting position relative to a similar confronting face of the adjacent block section II. A pair of pins or dowel members 29 and 2l are xed on the confronting face of the adjacent block section I I and extend inwardly therefrom in the direction of the other block section i2 for slidable engagement in the respective recesses or bores I8 and I9. Thebores I8 and I9, together With the dowels 29 and 2i, constitute the slidable attaching means for slidably securing the adjacent, confronting block sections II and i2 together.

A pair of wedge elements 22 are slidably engageabe in the space between the confronting block sections Il and i2, as clearly shown in Figures l and 2 of the drawings. The wedge elements 22 are preferably formed of wood, metal or other suitable hard material for engagement between the confronting faces of the adjacent block sections. The wedge elements 22 are formed with a pair of inwardly-converging outer faces 2li and 25 which are adapted to frictionally engage the confronting faces of the adjacent block sections at their outer edges for spreading apart the block sections' when the block sections are contained within the flexible loop I5. Each of the wedge elements 22 is formed with a vertical or transverse recess 26 on one of the inclined faces, as the face 25, the recess 26 providing a finger grip or tool-engaging formation for removing the wedge element when the wedge element is frictionally and tightly engaged between the block sections. One edge of the recess 25, as the edge 26a, will form a shoulder or abutment against which the tool may be engaged for rethey are clampingly engaged between the two block sections I I and I'2.

In the use and operation of the sander block I9 described above, the block sections II and I2 are slidably connected together by engaging the pins or dowels 29 and ZI of the block section II into the recesses I8 and IS of the other block section I2 and sliding the two block sections together so that their confronting inner faces are in abutting relation. The retracted block Eil is then engaged within a flexible loop, as the loop of sandpaper I5, and then the wedge elements 22 are pressed inwardly between the confronting faces of the adjacent block sections for pressing the block sections outwardly to stretch the nexible member I to a taut condition where the flexible member I5 will overiie the entire outer surface of the sander block IIl. The pointed ends of the wedge blocks or elements 25 are engaged between the confronting faces of the block sections II and I2 and the wedge elements on the opposite sides of the blocks are pressed inwardly as far as they will go to tighten the iexible member I5 about the block. In many instances the wedge elements 22 will be completely disposed inwardly of the side edges of the block sections II and I2, so that the outer ends of the wedge elements will be disposed in the block. For retracting or extracting the wedge elements 22 for sliding the iiexible member I5 to a different position on the block, a suitable wedge-removing tool is engaged in the recess 2l on one side of the block il) and in the groove 26 which is positioned in the block I (i in communication with the recess 2 and the tool has been pivoted about the outer side of the block II for extracting the wedge elements.

With the use of an expansible block of this kind, spring blocks heretofore used are not required for maintaining the flexible element I'I in a taut condition, and the flexible element will be maintained in the taut condition in all directions of movement of the sander block I 0. vThe formation of the sander block IIJ of wood in the manner described above provides for the manufacture of a sander block of this kind which may be manufactured at a low cost and distributed at a reasonable price.

The formation of the sander bock provides for the use and application of the block sections 5I and I2, together with the wedge elements 22, for other uses than sandpaper, as uses in polishing or other work where a flexible loop element is adapted to be engaged about an expansible rigid block assembly wherein the block assembly provides for the application of a smooth and continuous force on the sheet or strip of material to be used.

I do not mean to conne myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. An expansible block engageable in a continuous loop of fiexible material for holding said material taut about said block comprising a pair of block sections slidably connected together, a pair of tapered spreader elements frictionally engageable between said block sections for spreading the block sections apart upon sliding of said elements inwardly, one of said block sections being formed with intermediate, outwardlyopening cut-out portions on the side edges thereof adJacent the abutting section and adjacent the wedge elements for the insertion of a wedge-retrieving tool.

2. An expansible block engageable in a continuous loop of exible material for holding said material taut about said block comprising a pair of block sections slidably connected together, a pair of tapered spreader elements frictionally engageable between said block sections for spreading the block sections apart upon sliding of said elements inwardly, one of said block sections being formed with intermediate, outwardlyopening cut-out portions on the side edges thereof adjacent the abutting section and adjacent the wedge elements for the insertion of a wedge-retrieving tool, each of said wedge elements having a tool-receiving recess on one side thereof in communication with the adjacent cut-out portion.

3. An expansible block engageable in a continuous loop of flexible material for holding the material taut about said block comprising a pair of block sections slidably connected together, spreader elements slidably engageable between said block sections for spreading said block sections apart upon sliding of said spreader elements inwardly therebetween, each of said spreader elements having a tool engaging formation thereon for engagement by a tool for sliding said spreader elements from between said block sections.

4. An expansible block engageable in a continuous loop of iiexible material for holding the material taut about said block comprising a pair of block sections sidably connected together, spreader elements engageable between said block sections for spreading said block sections apart upon sliding of said spreader elements inwardly therebetween, each of said spreader elements having a shoulder thereon for engagement by a tool for sliding said spreader elements from between said block sections. i

OSCAR ISTUCKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 713,199 Brainard Nov. l1, 1902 1,274,928 Muller Aug. 6, 1918 2,154,814 Hill Apr. 18, 1939 2,270,835 Hibert Jan. 20, 1942 2,457,045 Kitterman Dec. 21, 1948 

